Some seven persons who were shot dead by police near Anhwiakwanta on the Kumasi-Obuasi road Tuesday are not armed robbers as alleged by the police, the Sarkin Zango palace has said.

In a statement Wednesday, the acting Chief of the Sarkin Zongo (or predominantly Hausa-speaking community) in Kumasi, Ahmed Rufai Alao, said the seven are well-known members of their community.

“It has come to the notice of the Sarkin Zongo Palace…that the seven persons shot by the police and whose bodies were displayed in the media are indigenes and sons of the Zongo community,” the statement read.

The statement added that they [Zongo authorities] are liaising with the family of the deceased to find ways to seek redress the right way.

“We, therefore, appeal to the Zongo communities, particularly the youth in Ashanti Region and Kumasi, in particular, to remain calm and peaceful in these trying moments…” the statement cautioned.

“We appeal to everyone to remain calm and refrain from any activity that will escalate the tension and grief that has again befallen our community,” it added.

‘Some of the victims are NPP members’

Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Asokore Mampong, where some of the victims lived have also vouched for the innocence of the septet; saying that they are sympathisers of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Related: Police allegedly gun down 'NPP members' during operation to find robbers, cop killers

“I know three out of the seven…they are NPP [New Patriotic Party] sympathisers and I know them personally,” he told Joy FM’s Super Morning Show host, Daniel Dadzie on Wednesday.

Mistaken identity

Joy News’ Erastus Asare Donkor also told the Super Morning Show that the family members he has interacted with insist their kinsmen killed by police were not robbers.

“We have families of these people calling and telling us that these people are not robbers. In fact, one of them, Musa Seidu, popularly known as Baba Nkande, is the Area Coordinator for the NPP in the Sabun Zongo area,” Erastus explained.

Meanwhile, the Zongo youth have planned to demonstrate on Thursday to register their displeasure with the incident.

The seven were gunned down by the police Tuesday afternoon by the police. They were said to have attempted to open fire on the police as they approached them.

However, they were outsmarted and the well-armed police, who had mounted surveillance on the robbers, shot and killed them in the process.

Audio

The youth have vowed wage war against the Ghana Police Service if they refuse to give tangible reasons for the shooting of seven of their colleagues.

Members of the community claim the killings were premeditated. Listen to one of them in the audio link below.